From my early days as a young DH grom in the ‘90’s, to my first attendance this year with MyVeloFit, Sea Otter Classic has always signalled the start of the mountain biking season for me. This iconic event, deeply etched in my earliest memories of cycling, has evolved from a much-anticipated product launch platform into the premier cycling industry showcase in North America—especially since the decline of the Interbike trade show.
This year, I had the opportunity to walk the grounds of the Sea Otter Classic not just as a spectator, but as a participant, experiencing firsthand the bustling atmosphere of what has been declared the biggest year yet. It was a culmination of years of enthusiasm and anticipation, a chance to immerse myself in the heart of the cycling community I’ve grown up with.
Dylan Johnson from Felt Un1ted and I after the mountain bike race.
Join me as we dive into the latest innovations and trends that are setting the pace for the future of cycling, direct from the 2024 Sea Otter Classic.
Trend 1: All-Road Bikes A Plenty
The “Endurance bike” has received a rebrand and it’s called all-road. While the term all-road isn’t new by any stretch of the imagination, the new crop of bikes on display make it clear that the industry is leaning into all-road. Brands including BMC, Felt, Parlee, and Enve all had their freshly minted new all road bikes on display.
All-Road additions including the Enve Fray, Felt VR, and BMC Roadmachine 01 X
A few trends have come together to really help this genre come into its own. The realization that wider tires offer more versatility and often speed has opened up the minds of many riders to consider something bigger than a 28mm on their dedicated road bike. With many of these bikes clearing 40mm tires, the versatility of a road bike has never been greater than this new crop of all-road machines. While previous “endurance” bikes have been criticized for sluggish handling, this modern crop of bikes seems to retain many of the handling characteristics of their racier brethren but apply a more appropriate fit geometry to put most riders in a position that’s both comfortable and lets them put down power.
Perhaps the most interesting for some riders is that these new bikes seem to borrow many of the visual (and some aero) cues from more pure road bikes which makes them look at home out on a group ride.
It will be interesting to see how this segment continues to evolve, but the all-road bike seems to be doing a better job at filling the gap between where race bikes end and gravel bikes begin, and perhaps most importantly doing a better job than previous iterations of being both those things as well. A future where most cyclists only need 1 drop handlebar bike instead of 3, may finally be here.
Trend 2: The Gravel Handlebar
While it’s no secret that gravel is hot right now (and nowhere more obviously than at a lifetime grand prix event), the increasing number of gravel specific parts has been an interesting development. Handlebars have perhaps been subject to the most innovation, often taking inspiration from both the road and mtb space. What makes a gravel bar you might ask? Well it appears that this is coming down to four main elements:
Selection of Deda gravel handlebars with varying degrees of drops depth and flare
Flare: Significant flaring at the drops to provide a much wider hand position is perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the new crop of gravel bars.
Width: Wider bars seem to be hot, even to the point where more traditional road widths aren’t being offered.
Rise: The benefits of a taller front end position are being recognized, so handlebars that help you get your hands a bit higher are increasingly common.
Reach & Drop: It seems that a shorter bar reach and drop have become a common feature of gravel bars, presumably to make the riding position in the drops a little less aggressive.
While none of these features are brand new to the handlebar space, what was clear at the show was that manufacturers now show full gravel line-ups of handlebars. So no longer is there one option, but a whole range to choose from based on your budget and needs. Brands including Redshift, Vision, Deda, and Pro all had a series of gravel bars on display to put your hands on.
Trend 3: Metal is still cool
It doesn’t seem to matter what the latest and greatest is in terms of performance, the bikes that most brands had on display when they really wanted to grab your attention were made of metal. Big names like Caadex, Skratch labs, and Wolf tooth all chose beautifully equipped custom Ti and steel frames from the likes of Mosaaic, Skarab, and No22 to bring attention to their booths (and display their gear).
Beautiful Ti and steel bikes from Skarab and No22
While it would have been perfectly possible to slap a beautiful paint job on a top spec carbon frame, there is clearly something in the cycling psyche that is drawn to more traditional materials like Ti and steel. I’m not sure if this says anything about the industry as a whole, but I’ve got a feeling we may see a resurgence of more classic style bikes as a counter to the increasing levels of integration and optimization towards pure performance. Undoubtedly this will still occupy a small part of the market, but it was refreshing to see something other than bikes being ridden at the top of the sport used as showcase pieces.
Key Takeaways
If past years are any indication I suspect the rest of the year will bring more of what I saw on my trip to Sea Otter. While this wasn’t necessarily a year for earth shattering innovation, there were certainly enough new gear being touted about, and far more than I’ve mentioned above. Gravel suspension forks being one to keep your eyes on as I suspect the energy, innovation, and launches in this space to continue for some time.
Now let’s all go back to riding our bikes!
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